Intoxication

I remember the day when I first lay my hands on Harivanshrai Bachchan's Madhushala. I was having conjunctivitis so missed college and stayed at hostel. Borrowed the book from a friend. Cant tell was it the simple language, the sharp digs at social lacunae, or just the musical nature of his work, I just got addicted to it. Me and my friend from UP had this recitation competition, which went on for days (not that great for my roomies). 

I felt similar intoxication when I read Pablo Neruda. I have only read few of their works, but felt that both write about different things, but somehow their style felt similar (well I am not that great at writing/thinking why I like some things, I just like them). As opposed to  Mr. Bachchan, who writes about social values (especially in Madhusala), I felt Neruda is great in talking about love and pain. Some of the best lines that I like from Madhushala and some random lines from Neruda are below. 

Neruda:

• Love is so short, forgetting is so long. 
• Though this be the last pain that she makes me suffer
  and these the last verses that I write for her. 
• I want to do with you what spring does with the cherry trees.

From Madhusala

1. मुसलमान औ' हिन्दू है दो, एक, मगर, उनका प्याला,
  एक, मगर, उनका मदिरालय, एक, मगर, उनकी हाला,
  दोनों रहते एक न जब तक मस्जिद मन्दिर में जाते,
  बैर बढ़ाते मस्जिद मन्दिर मेल कराती मधुशाला!

2. मदिरालय जाने को घर से चलता है पीनेवाला,

'    किस पथ से जाऊँ?' असमंजस में है वह भोलाभाला,
     अलग-अलग पथ बतलाते सब पर मैं यह बतलाता हूँ -
       'राह पकड़ तू एक चला चल, पा जाएगा मधुशाला।'

3. एक बरस में, एक बार ही जगती होली की ज्वाला,
    एक बार ही लगती बाज़ी, जलती दीपों की माला,
   दुनियावालों, किन्तु, किसी दिन आ मदिरालय में देखो,   
    दिन को होली, रात दिवाली, रोज़ मनाती मधुशाला।


Tried my hand at writing a poem after writing this post...and i was terrible. Dropped the idea for time being.